Tomato frog care

Highlander

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 28, 2004
Messages
481
Well it's been a while since I have kept any amphibians and was wondering if you could provide me with some good care info on tomato frogs?Some of the questons I have are what sized tank would be good for 1?How often to feed?Temp and humidity levels?Also any other info would be great.Thanks in advance.

Jonathan/Highlander
 

minax

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
266
Tomato Frog Info.

Hey Jonathan................there is a lot of amph. info. out there, but much of it is contradictory or just anecdotal. Just the same old info. and stories passed down, with little to no new research. Amph. care is still in the dark ages, as far as parasite care, and about any aspect you care to ask about. But.............they are VERY tough and adapt to an amazing number of circumstances, as far as their enviroment. Tomato frogs, (probably D.guineti that you are dealing with), are not as active as most frogs, but not so inactive as the Horned frogs. So..........a 10 gal. would be great, or a large critter keeper, but the ten gallons are very cheap now, at Petsmart, and even Wal-mart carries them.

Then you would have to buy a screen top, as I know from exp., that Tomato frogs can climb glass! ;) You might use some plexi-glass, or even saran wrap to cover part of the cage top, to keep the humidity higher. It will keep most species more active, but you can get by without this, if you mist heavily, 1-2 times a day. Give them a nice shallow water dish, fill it with water that does not smell of chlorine. Actually, bottled spring water is best. And do not use the reverse osmosis water; it is very clean, and great for reptiles to drink, but amphs. cannot regulate it properly, because of the removal of the mineral solids. So............basically the frogs take in too much water, and it can kill them. Only fill the water bowl to about their vent, or half way up their throat, to be on the safe side. And..........if possible, try to put some type of artificial plant or cover over the pool, as the frog will feel more secure. ( See the thread about Chubby frogs). Substrate...........either just spaghnum moss, or the potting soil and peat mix that many use for their T's, just don't put any more dirt than 2 inches deep. They love to burrow in wet spagh. moss, so you could put that on top of the dirt.

Temps: 75 to 80 deg. would be fine, this species does not like it too warm. Many keep them at room temps., but I prefer to provide a basking spot, to give them a choice of temps. They prefer high humidity, but keep adequate ventilation as well. As far as feeding, twice a week should be fine. About 8-12 crickets are enough. And they love wax worms as a treat. And try to give them calcium/D-3 once a week, especially if they are juveniles. Just dust the crickets very lightly with the powder. Let us know how the Frog is doing, okay? :)
 

Highlander

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 28, 2004
Messages
481
Thank you very much for the info :) I am not really shure if I am getting the Tomato frog or not.I was just considering maybe adding one of these little guys to my list of animals I was going to be looking for at my next local reptile expo(Was gonna look for a second scorp species,some millipedes and maybe a frog)

Jonathan/Highlander ;P
 

Highlander

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 28, 2004
Messages
481
Oh, one more thing what humidity range would be good for them?

Jonathan/Highlander
 

minax

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
266
Humidity.........

You are welcome Jonathan, glad to be of help. :) About the humidity...........most info. says 70-80 percent. In my exp., it is just too difficult to recreate the natural conditions of Madagascar, in a home terrarium. In a cage, without the natural filtering systems of the jungle, too high of a humidity can cause many problems, such as mold and fungus, or make the production of bacteria much more likely. So.........I would just try for about 70% humidity, and mist once a day, very heavily. This will simulate the jungle rains that occur daily in their habitat, and keep them active. If they stay burrowed down all the time; it is too dry, and you will have to mist twice a day. But........generally, once a day is fine, and it allows the humidity to stay high for a time, and gradually taper off, to prevent any problems with excess humidity. And ............if they feel the need to be more humid, they can always take a bathe! :D It's actually very easy to regulate the humidity, once you watch the frog for awhile.
 
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